PLEASE HELP ME! in building a 20 gallon sump please im desparate

Henry,

First off, welcome to BAR.

Second, please calm down!

No need to panic or be desparate about your setup. It's not even that big a deal if you don't run a sump or skimmer.

I've seen several very nice BAR member tanks that were skimmerless.

If you're on a budget, you even can use DIY $10 Home Depot shop lights and electronic ballasts to make a decent lighting setup for a soft coral tank. If you do a softy tank you don't need a Ca reactor, or even 2 part dosing.

There are lots of way cool colorful soft corals too.

 

[quote author=Mr. Ugly link=topic=4575.msg56081#msg56081 date=1221813589]
Henry,

First off, welcome to BAR.

Second, please calm down!

No need to panic or be desparate about your setup. It's not even that big a deal if you don't run a sump or skimmer.

I've seen several very nice BAR member tanks that were skimmerless.

If you're on a budget, you even can use DIY $10 Home Depot shop lights and electronic ballasts to make a decent lighting setup for a soft coral tank. If you do a softy tank you don't need a Ca reactor, or even 2 part dosing.

There are lots of way cool colorful soft corals too.
[/quote]

+1

I've run plenty of no skimmer sumpless systems that THRIVED. Patience is key.

 

i have a extra sump he can have. Its acrylic. About 20gallons. Loaded with bioballs. Im pretty sure that it has three compartments. Im located in Santa Cruz. I have been in the city alot the past week but i dont think im going back anytime soon. If anyone is around and going up ill be glad to meet you somewhere and you can bring it up. I nominate Maxs shop in Hayward to meet lol. I love going there.

 

Max' shop is not in Hayward, it's in San Jose 30 miles or so away You must be a true Santa Cruzan, it's all the Valley to us :lol:

I'm going up to Oakland tonight and I'll be stopping by Max's as well. I'll be leaving Santa Cruz around 3-4 I'm hoping as I have to be in Oakland by 5.

 

Oh nice you live in Santa Cruz? Ill drive the sump over to you where ever you are. I have a ton of xtra stuff if needed. Pumps, i have a used ER skimmer too that i dont think i need anymore. Might need a new pump, might not im not sure. The GF would be very excited if stuff disappeared.

 

Oh and if he needs any Kenya tree coral too ill be MORE than happy to bag a ton.

 

I'll be rolling back through SC around 3 or 4 if we could meet around then? I'm actually heading over Gilroy to meet with my printer for a while but i ahve to come back via Santa Cruz as I have to drop off something at home before going to Oakland

 

Just emailed you MrManz

 

ya ill be around all day. I just got your messages. If your comming in Santa Cruz i live right off ocean streat near Highway 17. YOu can come and see my tank and tell me what to do different lol. But no i can meet you where ever.

 

did you talk to grasham??/

 

I got stuck in Gilroy so we couldn't meet up. I still will be going to Oakland this weekend so it still ma work out

 

well we can meet up if you go on sunday for sure in oakland but where??? what part of oakland.

 

Smack dab in the middle of three waring gangs...the boneyard.

I'd just meet you at the closest BART station, you wouldn't even have to leave BART property

 

I met reef89 today Henry, good kid, turns out he's a friend of my nephew and brother; what a small world...
So he will need some help that's for sure and I ask those willing to give him and his uncle Sergio a hand.
First off to Henry's sump work. He would need a 20 long or regular 30 gal tank; old or scuffed that's OK
Personally I prefer a regular 30G tank mainly because in case of little more overflow from the main tank it will hold the excess water. If anyone has one plexi or glass just collecting dust I (we) would appreciate it.
I'll take care of the baffles, silicon and fuge light.
A spare or two PC ballasts are welcome, in the 65Watt range, his lights might start a fire and that's something we don't want to happen.
My profit on this will be the commitment from Henry to do the same in the future with no monetary gain DBTC is not only coral related.
Someone on this posting mentioned to maybe have a skimmer not using; perhaps is not the most needed piece of filtration but in time and as he jumps from one step to another he will require a better one than the Odysea he currently has.
We know he stays in San Francisco (little joke) but even I would not venture driving long just to pick up something much less having no job and gas still being expensive.
I was thinking of a "Relay" pass it along if some one from the South Bay, North Bay, etc. has something to collaborate with and knows of another person willing to get it as close to San Francisco as possible for him to pick up.
Please contact Henry reef89
I can not receive pm's but e-mail me at marioensf at yahoo dot com

Thanks in advance !

 

Sump was put together last Sunday, two 20G tanks one for him and one for his uncle. Three chambers, skimmer, fuge and return; even my brother got a nice 30G long sump I had for future plans.
If anyone has some spare DIY retro light parts for a canopy please let Henry know.

Thanks